Spark plug



April 6, 1926. 1,579,625 1 G. E. BANGHART SPARK PLUG Filed Sept. 5, 1923gnw'nlofn I 2 Hawaii. Bay/141?:

Patented Apr. 6, 192 6.

UN'iTED-STA S excites a. nairenimr, against-N; vmmm;

f manna;

v I Application flied September 5,1925. Serial No 661,039.

To allwhom it may cancer-4w Be it known that I, Gnonen E Bimiim,

' a citizen of the UnitedStates', residing at Ballston, iii-the countyof Arlington and State of'Virginia, have invented certain new and:useful Improvements in- Spark Plugs, of which the following isaspecification.

The invention has for an object to effect 3 improvements in sparlrplugs, to the ends'ot securing more 'eflicient{"tunction in I ignition,longer life in thej'plug, .r'ninir'numj-use' ofstock iii-production ofthe parts, andother improvements;

For the "rej efficient functioning of the plug itis an'attainment of theinvention thatthepa'th of the spark is localized and tends afterinitiation, to move in the same path in which it is initiated, whereasin plugs having one or more ordinary elec-- trodes the sparkchangesfroni one position to another rapidly,'encounteringsuccessivefunctions. m y

b provided means 'by whicln -contrary to a previous'pr-actice of heatingthat part of ly newi cool'dieletric matter which limits its head andintensity ofactivityg It is also an attainnientfin this direct-ionthatthe electrodes' "keep themselves clear by physical Further-- efliciencyis attained a main charge adjacent the igniting device heat accumulatingelectrodesare utilized to" heat a small part 'otfthecliargecwithin anenclosure which in'itselfwill impart to the transmitting element. andwhereby the use adjacent the electrodes whenthetime of nitioneventuates. Ano ther purpose islto" enclosed mixture a certain amounto'theat", absorbed from ignition of "charges. It is an important object toprovide a plug in which" an ele'ctrode maybe utilized also as afheat ofhigh compression and excessivelyv large size infthe said element willnot be required,

by preventing absorption of heat from the" heat transmitting element bymovement of large bodies otthe charge which are not cause] a highlypowertiil explosion of. the

initially ignited part of the charge a ndfit s H rapid propagationby-ndirection ,ot'thel;

initially ignited part within limited paths to distant parts' of theexplosion chamber It isalso an aim to attain what isbelieyed to beanimproved ionization effect about the electrodes when the device is inuse.

Incidentally, the plug functions to vent access to the terminals of oil,erran- Naturallmithe attainment of theseeiids" 13011 from the main bodyof, the leli e.

mum developmentot pow h P get-away; low idling'speedj Longer life in theplug is secured in the provision of electrodes which will burn away'ina-mimmumdegree, reduced liability'ot'breakage of porcelains either byex- 'tre'm'esrof heat, or by mal-adjustments due to removal andreplacement in cleaning. i r I Additional objects, advantages andfeatui'es of invention reside in the construction, arrangement. andcombination of parts'as hereinafter described, and shown in theaccompanying drawings, wherein, I

Figure 1 is a vertical sectionalview of the plug in'one embodiment,

-Fig. 2 is a top view of the liood removed, Fig. 3 is an elevationalview of thepi-ug,

tion, showing a familiar mounting of the porcelain.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing'the 'hood integral, and alsoillustrating a modification of theupper electrode.

Fig. 4-is an elevational view partly in sec- 7 There isi'illustrated aplug comprising a case body 10*having anenlarged, interior-V lythreaded, exteri'orly hexagonal upper or nut part 1l','and anexteriorlythreaded-cyscrewed into the ordinary plug opening of an internalcombustion engine cylinder. 1 The case as shown n Figure 11s formed withof the 'upperfpart'll, agwvell as somewhat smaller than'ttl e'interiorof the part 12. v

The lowcryend of the plug of Figure 1 "is formed with a further reducedcylindrical extension 14, below; the nipple proper "formed with a-'circumsoribing exterior groovelfii' Upon this extension there issnugIyfitted a hood 16 the sides of which are cylindrical and formedwith slits 17 opening on the upperopen edge of the hood -whereby some,resilient flexing action of the intervening parts is'permitted. Theupper edge portion isformed'with a rib or indenitations 19adaptedto snapsnugly into the groove 15, andi'etain the'ho'odagainst casual Idetachment. v The part 14 is ofsufliciently smaller diameter thanfthethreads on the nipple to permit the hood to i thereover and still clearthe sides' ottheephg openlind'r'icaI nipple. part 12 adapted ,to be aninterior 'ainnular shoulder 13 having a y diameter considerably lessthanthe interior through the aperture -for reduction is preferablylocated/opposite. thebas'e' ing of the engine cylinder readily. In fact,a shoulder is formed in practice, whiclrenables the ready insertion of ascrew driver between the edge of the hood and the nipple proper and theexercising of leverage to pry the hood off when necessary. The hood maybe replaced by holding it in position with the upper end of the caserested on an anvil or the like, and delivering a blow with a hammer onthe bottom of the hood. The hottoin or closed end of the hood maybeformed as desired, but in the present instance is in the form 01"" asegment of a sphere formed integrally with the wall of the hood. p

A porcelain core is mounted in the upper case 11 which includespreferably upper and lower cylindrical stem and apron parts 2122 withinintervening cyl ndr cal enlargement adapted to rest on a packing 23 onthe shoulder 13 and receive at the upper side the thrust of 'a gland 2aof sleeve-like form extending beside the enlargement a distance, apacking 25 being interposed. The gland is provided with an upper nutpart. 4

It is to be noted that the lower part of the porcelain or apron 22 stopsa distance above the extension 14;. In the porcelain. there is mountedin any approved manner an axial electrode 26 having a ball terminal 27thereon within, adjacent or below the extension 14.

- In the hood there is mounted a horizontal. stud-like electrode 28extending from the wall of the hood a distance above the bottom thiselectrode is provided with a terminal ball 29 located on the axis of theplug. The last electrode is readily mounted by insertion through adrilled opening in the wall of the hood, and the electrode orhoodpeened. An axial aperture 30 is formed in the hood beneath the ball 29,and in Fig. 1 the hood is shown as hav ing a diagonal opening 31extending partly in the wall and partly in the bottom of the hood, whileadditional apertures 32 may be formed at other parts of the hood asfound desirable to correspond with the size or shape or" the cylinder inwhich the device is used. Ordinarily, I have formed two of the openings32 in plugs adapted for use in the Ford motor. The electrodes are sospaced in the hood that there is a clearance between the hood and (ball29 which will permit adjustment of the ball with respect to the ball 27,moveaent on the axis of .thelatter; This may be accomplished .byinsertion of. a tool through the aperturefSl for widening, or

the For this reason the-aperture the electrode .28, [so "that "thecente'ring' of the electrode in'a'd'justnie'nt may be assured? 7otherwise re tricted to form It is important that the balls 28 and 29 beof comparatively large size in proportion to the parts or the plug asordinarily constructed, -i-t-bein g the purpose that either one or bothshall function to accumulate a considerable degree of heat fromexplosions of charges, it is believed that if any difference is made inthe size of the two, the lower should be the larger, and when directcurrent is used for ignition, the lower electrode should also be thepositive terminal. is believed also that the balls have an effect in soionizing the air or held about the gap that the spark is made moreeflicicnt and less vacillating. The hood may be adjusted with one of thelateral aperturespreferably the large diagonal one til oisposed towardthe intake valve of the motor in which it installed, so that theincoming charge will direct fresh gases into the hood. There will be nogreat movement of gases through the hood, however by this action, andtheetl'ect will be that heat given oit by the balls will be concentratedon a comparatively small amount of the charge mixture bringing it to anascent condition with respect to ignition so that it will readilybecome fired by the spark at the gap. The wall and bottom of the hoodalso aid in this effect, partly warming the mixture entering, so thatthe balls may raise the enclosed gas to a higher temperature than theballs or a hood acting alone. When.

the part of a charge within the hood becomes ignited under theseconditions, it explodes violently, projecting itseli throu h theopenings of the hood and establishing immediately numerous areas ofpropagation of ignition in the main body of the charge, and resulting ina quicker explosion without requiring high initial compression. 7

In Fig. 4 the use of an ordinary retainer nut or gland 35 at the outerpart of the percelain 18 shown, as well as a modification of theformation of the shoulder 13, For the utilization of an electrodeofgreat-er diameter 1n the enlargement 22-.a familiar st-ruc ture 1nplugs.

In F1g. 5, in place of the ball 28, there is prov ded on the axialelectrode a cup-like terminal d0, which is hollow and provided with arestricted openingiin-m-ediately adacent the ball 29 which is nountedasbefore described, the remainder of t being also made in accordance eplug the previous disclosure. In the formatio o't-the terminal 40, theextremity of the e trade proper-41. is formed with a thread, and a.short section of tube corresponding to the upper part of the terminal40 is 'interio-rlv threaded ands'erewed on to the ele ode, the lower endof the tube section bei spun or 1e reduced Constihetient-tte s r a yadjusting the gap between the mean for electrodes, which is accomplishedby removing the core and with a pair of pipe, pliers turning "theterminal 40 as required to vary the gap, then replacing the parts. Incase the removable, hood is employed, removal ofp the. core from thecase Will not, of course, be

with respect to the plug;

required, but the hood is removed and the terminal 40 adjustedindicated.

The function of this last described form of the device is to cause theopposed surfaces of the electrodes to be cleaned by the rush ofexploding gas fromthe terminal 40, in addition to the'heating effectbefore noted.

Iii adjusting the hood,the plugcase is preferably first screwed home inthe engine cylinder, and a mark then made on the case indicating thedirectionof the'intake valveafter which the hood is adjusted With theopening 31 adjacent the mark thus made.

' The plug is adapted to be produced at a low cost Without specialdiiiicultiesi'nshop practice, and has been found to function Witheminent satisfaction, through actual use.

As in Fig. 5, also, the hood element may be made integral With the"case, as at 42.

It should be noted that the ball' elements become very highly heated inthe operation of the device as indicated, and this in addition tosuperheating the portion of the charge Within the hood of the plug, alsokeeps the terminals free of soot or carbon. Fig. 4 incidentallyillustrates the use of a horizontal slot 36 formed in the Wall of thehood in a planeat right angles to the axis of the plug and coincidentwith the stem 28. In conjunction with this slot, the

desired.

apertures 32 may be used or omitted as desired, the width and lengthofthe slot being electrode'28 to be inserted through the open-' ing in thehood insteadof through the upper end of'the case forsecurement in-theWall of the hood.

. What is claimed 2- In a plug ofthe character described, a case hoodedat the inner end, an insulating core therein, an axial electrode mountedin the. core exposed Within. theliood, a separate electrode mountedWithin and on the side of the hood including a stem set in the Wall ofWithin the hood and cooperative relation to the first electrode, saidhood being laterally I i aperturedfor the recept on of gases andprojection of ignited gases as described, in cluding an apertureopposite the stem. of

the hood and aheat accumulating and rera ning enlargement on the stemspaced the second named'electrode of a size to per-r niit insertion ofsaidlelectrode and admit a 'tool for adjustment of the gap.

In testimonywhereof I have afiixed my signature.

GEORGE E. BANGHART.

